The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a fuel system to mitigate combustion dynamics for a multi-nozzle dry low NOx (DLN) combustion system.
In a gas turbine engine, fuel and air are mixed together and combusted within a combustion zone of a combustor. The energy of this combustion is then transformed into mechanical energy in a turbine where it can be used for the production of, e.g., electricity. By-products of the combustion are exhausted. Recently, concerns have grown about the environmental impact of these by-products, however, and efforts have been undertaken to build dry low NOx (DLN) combustors which are designed to decrease the amount of undesired NOx emissions produced as by-products of the combustion.
For DLN gas turbine combustor operation, combustion dynamics has been seen as a concern that may prevent operability, shorten part life and reduce overall durability of associated DLN systems. One main cause for combustion dynamics is when fuel/air ratio fluctuations occur due to pressure fluctuations in the mixing section and corresponding fuel flow rate and air flow rate fluctuations. The fuel/air ratio fluctuations may result in heat release fluctuation and sustained combustion dynamics.